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Why use Military Standard 883.5011 approved adhesives in other industrial and research applications

MIL STD883.5011 testing involves testing polymers for their thermal stability, by running a Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The thermal stability is determined by heating the specimens from room temperature to 200°C at a heating rate of 10°C/minute in a nitrogen atmosphere. The thermal stability of the cured material is determined by the weight loss at 200°C. For the polymer compound to pass the test, the weight loss must be less than or equal to 1.0 percent of the cured material weight prior to the exposure to the temperatures.

Master Bond has developed many one and two component epoxies for use in bonding, sealing, coating, and encapsulating applications. Some of them were successfully tested for the ASTM D3850-12 per MIL-STD-883J Section 3.5.2 & 3.8.5, by an independent laboratory. These epoxies bond to a wide variety of metals, ceramics, glass, rubbers, and plastic substrates. They can be used not only in military applications, but also across many other industries, where thermal stability is an important requirement. Partial list of examples includes downhole oil equipment, lasers, satellite systems, electronics, power tools, and automotive applications. The thermal stability test is a very aggressive check for the high temperature serviceability of such compounds, and is an excellent starting point for using such compounds in high temperature applications. Other considerations to keep in mind are the continuous, as well as the maximum service temperature range, thermal cycle ramp speeds, and other thermally induced stresses in the application.

These thermally stable adhesive systems offer many other advantages especially over traditional fastening techniques, such as improved load bearing capacity, stress distribution, resistance to cyclical fatigues, protection against chemicals, and light weighting, to name a few. Designers and engineers must be mindful of the processing considerations such as surface preparation, and cure schedules while selecting the right product. It is best to consult with the supplier’s recommendations while choosing the adhesive, sealant, coating, or potting compound, and also for the best processes to use. Master Bond’s custom formulations can now offer enhanced high temperature serviceability, combined with easy processing and curing, to enable new design flexibility for the ever evolving marketplace.